Leukaemia Foundation CEO Bill Petch says the organisation is concerned at the increasing rate of blood cancer deaths in Australia. In fact, an Australian is newly diagnosed every 41 minutes and the diagnoses are expected to rise around 30 per cent over the next decade.

More than 270,000 Australians have been diagnosed with a blood cancer since the World's Greatest Shave began in 1998. Blood cancer, in particular leukaemia and lymphoma, are the most commonly diagnosed childhood cancers in children aged 0-14.

Looking back, Tracy can now recognise signs of the disease in her son, including night sweats.

The 5-year-old had been experiencing night sweats and exhaustion. (Supplied)

"He would drench the bed at night but it didn't really click. It was summer and he'd been out all day swimming,” she recalls.

Though initial blood tests at the family GP came back as 'normal', Nicholas was sent to Royal Hobart Hospital for a biopsy of his lymph node, which uncovered the leukameia.

"I had horrible thoughts. As soon as you see not one lump but more than one lump... I'm a nurse, my guts were thinking 'cancer' at the time," Tracy says.
"You know what you're in for but you also don't. You try to hope but it's very very hard when you know there are multiple lumps running along your child's lymph nodes."

Tracy says the first 28 days of chemo were designed to "hit the cancer hard".

"We didn't get to go home that day," she says. "He started chemotherapy the next day. It was all very urgent."

The boy endured 3 years of treatment. (Supplied)

While the initial round of treatment did improve Nicholas' condition, it wasn't as effective as had been hoped.

"He needed even stronger chemo and it came with even more side-effects. It was horrible, horrible,” she says.

The chemo was followed by three years of intensive treatment and maintenance therapy.

"It was a very long treatment protocol for leukaemia," Tracy says.

While the first 12 months of Nicholas' treatment was "very hard", Tracy says the scariest time for her was when the now-11-year-old developed a nasty virus.

"He went about a week with temperatures sitting at around 38-39 degrees and it just didn't come down," she says. "He had no immunity at the time either. Simple little viruses and illnesses going around can affect you so much when you are having chemo."

Tracy is in awe of her son and how he has coped with his difficult experience. (Supplied)

During Nicholas' treatment, the family did their best to cope.

"It affected us a lot," Tracy says. "Cameron and I often spent a lot of time apart with one in hospital with Nicholas and one at home with Alex [their daughter Alexandra, now 16].

"Luckily for us we have wonderful family support which became invaluable during treatment," she says. "Cameron's mum virtually lived with us for six months and helped keep things normal for Alex.

"My parents were back and forth from the hospital as well, and were able to give us a break and cook us a meal and do our washing."

Nicholas didn’t start school due to his diagnosis, but Tracy says the Ronald McDonald Education Program provided him with a tutor he wouldn't fall too far behind. He returned to school properly in Year 1.

“He was in and out depending on how well he was. Sometimes he would do a half day. It just depended. He had a lot of bone pain, aches and we become easily exhausted."

Sister Alex has taken part in the World's Greatest Shave to raise money for the Leukaemia Foundation. (Suppled)

These days Nicholas is a picture of health, with mum Tracy describing him as "quite active and wonderful."

"I really love seeing how much strength he's regained in the last two years," she says of her son, who is just beginning Year 6.

Tracy and her family are forever grateful to the medical staff who assisted in Nicholas' recovery and the support they received. To families who are at the beginning of their cancer journey, her advice is to remember there is an end in sight.

"When you get to it, it's wonderful," she says.
"Although also I'll forever be a 'cancer mum'. I'll always worry about him. But you've got to go on and live. I try my hardest to do that now."

Tracy says she and her family are not only making the most out of life, but are also trying to give back.

Alex and Nicholas have both taken part in the fundraiser. (Supplied)

After seeing her little brother lose his hair three times during treatment, Alex decided to shave her hair for World's Greatest Shave to raise money for the Leukaemia Foundation.

"Alex just blows me away," Tracy says. "She put it together with the World's Greatest Shave team and got involved in the fundraising. She ended up raising over $7,000."

Nicholas joined his sister at the event and they are now sporting "cute stubble".

"It makes me such a proud mum that even after everything we've gone through, she and Nicholas decided to give back," their mum says.
"Also, we live in Tasmania. It is a small community of cancer families here, we all do what we can to help and support each other."

Australians are gearing up for World's Greatest Shave 2019 from March 13-17. Show your support by visiting the World's Greatest Shave website.